List of Social Networking Sites – Find Out Which Suits You Best

With the popularity of social networking, a complete list of social networking sites that have been launched on the World Wide Web can prove to be overwhelming to look at. Social services are sprouting from everywhere, giving Internet users more choices. But, this wide range of choices does not make deciding which ones suit you best any easier, does it?

While you can ask for pieces of advice from your friends which social site they think suits you best, you can consider this short list of social networking sites to give you some idea and help you get started.

If you want to join "traditional" social services, which generally focus on a general audience, you may wan to join:

Bebo: While it is reported as ranking next to MySpace and Facebook, Bebo is the most popular in some parts of Europe such as the United Kingdom, Ireland and New Zealand.

Facebook: Going head to head against MySpace, Facebook takes pride of its over 70 million users, which continues to grow by the day. It used to be an exclusive site for Harvard students, but it has opened its doors for Internet users who are 13 years old and above.

Friendster: Still widely used in Southeast Asia, Friendster had its own share of having been the top social site before MySpace stole the scene.

MySpace: Taking pride of its over 200 million users, MySpace is considered as the most popular social service these days, especially in the United States.

Furthermore, there are sites specially made for those who want to establish contacts with their fellow professionals. These include:

LinkedIn: With over 20 million users, LinkedIn can provide more professional and business opportunities for you.

Xing: Another site that helps you establish business connections is Xing. Its basic registration is for free, but it requires a monthly-paid membership fee for additional features such as sending out messages to people who do not have direct connection with you.

Social sites which bring people together through a specific interest are also gaining popularity. Examples are:

Flicker: photo management and photo sharing
Flixster: movies
Avatars United: online games
Last.fm: music
Shelfari: books
WAYN: travel and lifestyle

You can use this brief list of social networking sites to guide you in deciding which will work for you best, but there are times that you have to go through some trial and error to really determine the right social site for you.